Microsoft Puts LinkedIn, Netflix Into Hotmail

Microsoft is trying to make it easier to do things like respond to social-networking requests and make purchases without ever leaving your email.

The software giant is updating its Hotmail service to embed technology from websites including Netflix and LinkedIn, it announced Tuesday. The new partnerships are part of an effort called Active Views, which aims to keep people in their Hotmail window whenever they get an email with links to outside sites.

Microsoft announced Active Views late last year, with services that turned text links for video sites like YouTube and Hulu or photo sites like Flickr into videos and slideshows. Tuesday’s announcement extends that technology to more types of businesses — including ones that rely heavily on email communication to get in touch with their customers.